Life as a Train Wreck
by singingstarryknights
Summary: Post 6x24. Greg and Nick have more in common than they think.


Life as a Train Wreck 

(or Loving Sara Sidle Just Got _That_ Much Harder But We're Going to Do it Anyway.)

…

Post 6x24. Greg and Nick have more in common than they think.

…

NickGreg Friendship

…

"Hey." Greg offered a greeting to Nick as the older man flopped down on the couch beside him, chinking the neck of his beer bottle against the one Greg held in his hand without a word, and turning his attention on the Astros game on the television. "So what's all this about?" Nick took a long sip from his beer before turning to his friend.

"This, my friend, is lamentation at it's best." Nick leaned back against the couch, and inspected the label on the bottle.

"Lamentation, huh? What are we grieving?" Greg took a sip, swirling the liquid around in his mouth before swallowing.

"Our chances with Sara." Nick threw him a crooked grin, and wiped the condensation off his bottle before bringing it back to his lips. "She left the hospital with Grissom."

"Get out." Greg's scandalized tone made Nick laugh, he figured the younger man had missed them leave together. Greg's attention had been on what the doctor was saying to Catherine when Grissom and Sara had slipped down the corridor and out of sight, looking at each other like there wasn't going to be a goodbye in the parking lot. Greg sat up, and stared at Nick with a disbelieving expression littering his features.

"I'm not kidding."

"Wow. "

"I know."

"That sucks."

"I agree."

"You don't think she'll sleep with him, do you?"

"I'd wager she's in the process."

"No, Nick, that really sucks." Greg sat back again, and took a swig from his bottle. "This is not good."

"I know."

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"Me? Why didn't you stop her?" Nick glanced at his friend, chuckling as he turned his attention back on the game before him. God he hated interleague play. Any moment now one of his brother-in-laws was going to call and gloat about how wonderful the Rangers were.

"Well if she's sleeping with Grissom, neither of us are going to have a prayer's chance."

"My point exactly."

"That sucks." Greg brought the bottle back up to his lips, and shook his head. "That really sucks."

"I really agree." They watched one of the Astros strike out, and stagger defeatedly back to the dugout. "You think they'll get married?"

"Grissom's married to his bugs." Nick frowned in agreement, and tilted his head as he watched the sportscasters talk about the errant fan out on the field. "Why do they never show that stuff?" Greg gestured towards the TV.

"Because everybody wants to watch it. Morbid curiosity. Like a train wreck."

"A fan on the field is not a train wreck. Grissom and Sara having sex is a train wreck."

"Something like that." Nick shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

"I always thought she'd end up with you." Greg ran a hand through his disheveled curls, and sighed at the TV. Nick stifled a laugh, and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Why's that?"

"The family thing. I mean, her family was hardly a positive influence on her. Abusive father, murderous mother, deadweight stoner for a brother. You've got family coming out of your ears. And not only are they everywhere, and no one can keep any of them straight, but they love you. Sara never had that. You didn't see her with your parents when they came last May. She was so worried about you. I mean, we all were, obviously, but your mom, she walked right past Grissom, and hugged Sara so tightly, I mean, I think it was because Sara was the only one she knew, but I don't think Sara had ever been hugged like that in her life. Something about that Texan chivalry. And you're a good guy. Like, Warrick and I still can't figure out how you're not married." Nick smiled faintly at Greg's last remark, exhaling slowly. He hadn't known just how much his ordeal, and his mom, had affected Sara.

"I had my money on you, though."

"Nah. I never stood a chance. I don't take anything seriously, and I'm just a lab tech."

"Jus' because a chicken has wings don't mean it can fly."

"Whatever that means."

"Mean's there's more to you than what you can see. And you're not just a lab tech. You're an investigator. She should know that, she trained you. Let's not forget that you were the number two ranked DNA analyst in the country."

"That was a long time ago. I'm a different person."

"I always thought she'd realize just how much she needs to laugh. Lighten up. Let things go. In the past year, you've been the only one to make her laugh. Really, honest to God genuinely grinning laugh. No one else can make her smile like you do, Greg. She needs that. She's going to burn out in a few years, taking everything as seriously as she does, as personal as she does. Grissom is a great many number of things, but funny he is not. Training you, it was like she rediscovered how much fun getting the bad guy can be. She didn't brood around, she was happy."

"I _am_ pretty cool."  
"And you're modest, as well." Greg shot Nick a grin, and they chinking their bottles together again.

"I can't believe she's sleeping with Grissom."

"Talk about a self destructive personality."

"Love makes you do crazy things."

"Yeah. Like join the art club in high school to get a girl."

"Like throw away being number two to get a girl." Nick turned his head, taking in Greg's defeated profile.

"You became a CSI to be closer to Sara?"

"I became a CSI because it was more of a challenge. And because I was afraid of the lab blowing up again. And- well, I had it bad for Sara."

"You still do."

"Like you're one to talk." They sat in silence for a few minutes, each finding comfort in the other, watching until the inning was over.

"You think she'll call him Gil? Or will she call him Grissom?"

"When?"

"When she cries out his name in a spine bending orgasm." Nick coughed, spitting out the dregs of the beer that he had just tipped into his mouth. Greg laughed, watching the older man regain composure. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think we're going to need a few more, and that's just to get that image out of my head." Nick rolled his eyes as Greg tried to stop laughing and failed miserably. At least one of them could find the humor in the situation. It certainly did leave a man to wonder.

…

A/N: It just dawned on me. Even if we can't agree on who is better for Sara, Greg or Nick, we can agree that it's definitely not Grissom. At least we can agree on something.


End file.
